Glenn Roberts

Venus shines bright in the constellation of Virgo – the Virgin in the WSW sky at dusk this month. While its magnitude increases from -4.3 to -4.6, its height, as it first becomes visible in the evening sky, actually decreases from 20 degrees to around 15 degrees as August progresses.

This “evening star” reaches its greatest eastern elongation from the sun on Aug. 17. Watch the waxing, crescent moon slide from the right of Venus on Aug. 13 to directly above on Aug. 14 and to its upper left on Aug. 15.

Jupiter also shines bright in Virgo in the SW in the early evening sky as August opens, setting just before 10:30 p.m. by month’s end. Its brightness will diminish in August, dropping from mag. 2.1 to -1.9. On Aug. 31, Jupiter sits to the upper left of Venus in the SW sky about 30 minutes after sunset.

Saturn resides in the constellation of Sagittarius - the Archer throughout August. It, too, sits rather low in the SSE sky this month, as the sky begins to darken. As it begins to pull farther away from Earth in its orbit around the sun, its magnitude will diminish this month from +0.2 to +0.4. Though its apparent size will also diminish, its magnificent ring system is still tilted favourably to our line of sight. Look for Saturn to the left of the waxing, gibbous Moon, just above the “teapot” asterism in Sagittarius in the SSE evening sky, about one hour after sunset on Aug. 20. Mars sits to the lower left of the “teapot”.

The full moon of July 27 somewhat diminished the view of Mars in the late evening sky this past week. Having reached opposition on July 27, Mars continues to shine brightly from its rising in the east just after sunset to its disappearance in the predawn western sky. It will have just made its closest approach to Earth since 2003 last night, and so will still shine brightly in western Sagittarius in the night sky for weeks to come. Though dimming slightly from mag. -2.8 to mag. -2.2 this month, any decent telescope or quality binoculars should, under clear weather and a dark site, show some of the planet’s surface features. The waxing, gibbous moon sits just to the upper left of Mars on the evening of Aug. 23.

Having passed through inferior conjunction (passing between Earth and the Sun) on Aug. 9, Mercury becomes visible in the predawn sky after Aug. 20, when it reaches its greatest western elongation from the sun. If you have a clear view of the ENE horizon, and a pair of binoculars, look for our solar system’s inner most planet low above the horizon on Aug. 26, about 45 minutes before sunrise.

Though technically not actual shooting stars, the Perseid meteors are, as is everything in the universe, made of the stuff of stars. So, when you watch a Perseid meteor streak across the night sky this month, you are, in spirit at least, seeing a shooting star. Associated with the Halleytype comet 109P Swift-Tuttle, the Perseid meteor shower (radiant in Perseus – the Warrior Prince) began in mid-July and usually lasts until around Aug. 24. The actual peak of the shower will come on the evening of Aug. 12 through the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 13, with the predawn hours being best (weather permitting).

This year, the waxing, crescent moon (the new moon is on Aug. 11) will set early in the evening of Aug. 12-13, leaving the remaining night/pre-dawn hours free of interfering moonlight. If the weather co-operates, expect to see approximately 100-plus bright meteors per hour (under a dark sky away from city lights) streak across the sky.

Though you may not be able to “catch a falling star”, you will, at least, see one ... or many!

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner could possibly become nakedeye visible by the end of August. It is forecast to make its closest approach to Earth sometime in September. Watch for more about this comet in next month’s column.

Until next month, clear skies.